Indian passengers complain of discrimination at Paris airport

MUMBAI: A fortnight after over 50 Indian passengers alleged they were victims of racial profiling while flying Air France, ten Indians, travelling by the same airline, met a similar fate when they were stranded for an entire night in a Paris airport lounge.

The Indians, flying to Mumbai from Washington via Paris, complained that they were confined to the lounge on Monday with just some water and a sandwich after their plane reached Paris late from Washington and they could not board the connecting flight to Mumbai.

The passengers of the flight AF025 alleged that while they had to remain at the airport, people with American passports were given transit visas, provided accomodation and taken care of.

Complaining of discrimination and insensitivity towards them, a passenger Gwyneth Alphonso said, "We were not put on the immediate connecting flight on the same day. We were told that we have to just adjust within the environment. (Those) who held American passports were given visas and accomodation and were taken care of. But we who had Indian passports were the only ones to be denied any kind of help at that place".

The passengers said the airline extended an apology to the passengers through an SMS.

Over 50 Indian passengers had on May 12 accused Air France of 'racial' profiling at Paris airport where they were stuck while in transit after their aircraft developed a technical problem, a charge denied by the airline.